UNHOLY DESIRE

MATTEO

“Hey, Ice Queen!” Nicholas called.

“Shut up, or I’ll make you, Ink!” Lucia retorted.

Although I referred to Lucia as Lucy, most people in the famiglias knew her as the Ice Queen. It was due to her ruthlessness while carrying out her assignment that she was nicknamed that.

As for Nicholas, he was called Ink because of the many tattoos he had on his body. While every one of us had a tattoo symbolizing our organization, Nicholas’ tattoos covered 90% of his body. I wouldn’t be surprised if he had one, even in the most private areas.

I breathed out as Lucia stepped towards me, her lavender scent teasing my nostrils.Copyright Nôv/el/Dra/ma.Org.

“Who’s that, Bambina?” She questioned, leaning into me. “Giovanni said to remind you about the meeting.”

Of course, I hadn’t forgotten about it. I had only just stepped out now and wanted some respite from everything that had been happening.

“Teo,” Lucia called as I ignored her question. “You’ve been brooding, Sphinx, and this is the longest I’ve seen you lost in thought.”

As she called me the nickname that had been given to me, I stared hard at her.

In the Ferrovia Famiglias, each member had a nickname by which they were identified.

Giovanni’s name was Falco, and he had adopted the nickname Falcon. In my opinion, I believed it suited him due to his reputation for having a sharp, strategic mind and an unwavering focus on his goals. Like a falcon, he was known for his keen observational skills, precision in executing plans, and the ability to strike at his enemies swiftly.

I was called the Sphinx by everyone because they believed I was shrouded in mystery and guarded secrets, much like the mythical sphinx of ancient legend. They said the nickname “Sphinx” reflected the enigmatic nature of my character and the powerful aura I exuded. In reality, I had no hidden secrets. Or maybe I did, but it wasn’t something I wanted to share with anyone.

It was only during operations that I related to that name, and Lucia calling me that could only mean she wanted information from me.

I started to tuck back the picture of Deirdre and Kendall that I had acquired, but it was snatched out of my grasp.

“Secret Lover, ehn?” Lucia asked, scrutinizing the picture.

“Give it back, Lucy,” I murmured, extending my hand to her.

“She looks very familiar,” Lucia furrowed her brows. “Are you stalking her?!” Her eyes narrowed at me as though I had committed an offense.

“She’s mine,” I said, almost snapping at her.

“Chill, no need to get your panties twisted in a knot. And I’m very serious, I’ve seen her before,” Lucia said.

She got me curious. The expression on her face made me believe she had seen her somewhere and was trying her best to remember where it was. I didn’t think it was that dreaded restaurant she had been working at because one thing about Lucia was that she rarely forgot a location she had been to, especially an elite one.

I was about to ask her where she had seen her but was interrupted by Nicholas.

“Why don’t both of you just get married?” He said. “The Sphinx and the Ice Queen, such a perfect match from above. I can even imagine what your children will be called: Raven, Sky, Minotaur…”

He sniggered, playfully dodging Lucia as she moved to swat him.

“Leave them be, Nic,” Jackson “Shadow” Malone said.

He was as tall as I was, 6 feet and 2 inches, with broad shoulders that were often accentuated by the suit jacket he wore all the time, a closely shaved head, bushy brows, and blue eyes that seemed like they could look into the soul of anyone he was staring at.

Jackson was a master of stealth and covert operations, often moving like a shadow in the night. His nickname, “Shadow,” reflected his ability to blend seamlessly into the darkness, making him a formidable and elusive figure.

“He has a girl already,” Jackson let out. “Although she isn’t with him, and he’s been stalking her for a while.”

Aside from Lucia, Jackson and a few others knew about Deirdre. They had been present when I wedded her, and they were very much aware of the reason I did so. Also, when she left, they knew and informed me about her location. They had teased me about Deirdre leaving. Although it had angered me at the time they said I couldn’t keep a woman, thinking about it, I couldn’t help but feel it was the truth.

I wasn’t able to keep Deirdre, and even now that I had forced her back into my life, she had only yielded due to Kendall, who was caught in the middle.

“Why would he stalk her if he already had her?” Lucia raised her brows. For a few seconds, she locked eyes with me and exclaimed, “She left, didn’t she?”

I said nothing. I wasn’t interested in indulging them in the conversation further and allowed them to assume what they wanted to.

“Where’s Malik?” I asked, scanning the small room I used as a meeting hall for my team.

Within the Ferrovia Famiglias, there were other groups formed, and I headed a team called the Forge Alliance, with Lucia being the only female member. It consisted of Nicholas, Malik, Jackson, and Lucia. The other teams had many more members, as this family was a large one, consisting of a hundred made men, not counting the newly recruited.

I never wanted that many members on my team. It wasn’t because I couldn’t manage them but because I needed to keep a close eye on everyone.

“The last time I checked, he was making whoopee,” Jackson said, then made a few kissy sounds and rocked a pillar nearby.

“You can just say he was having sex, which isn’t a bad thing,” Lucia retorted.

“Why don’t you find someone else to trouble, Ice Queen?” Jackson frowned at her.

They never saw eye to eye, and sometimes, I wondered if they had some sort of hidden relationship I wasn’t aware of, as the tension between them was even greater than I could imagine.

“Well, I chose to trouble you. What can you do about that, Jack?” Lucia retorted, standing to her feet. She advanced towards Jackson, who did the same in return. Just then, the door opened, and Malik strode in.

“Yo! The prodigal son is here,” Malik Al-Mansoori swaggered towards us.

He always referred to himself as the prodigal son because he was wayward and reckless in every way you could ever think of. Malik was just a few inches shorter than Jackson, with olive skin, curly dark brown hair, high cheekbones, and almond-shaped toffee brown eyes. Despite his recklessness, Malik was an information broker. He possessed a wealth of knowledge and insight.

Aside from the nickname “The Prodigal Son,” he often referred to himself as Malik, also known as the Oracle. This nickname highlighted his ability to provide valuable and often prophetic information to those who sought his services, and he was the most useful to me as he was the one who told me that Deirdre would return to me. I believed him because he was never one to lie.

“Okay, now everyone is here,” Jackson said, his tone turning serious as if he hadn’t been teasing Lucia a few moments ago.

It was one of the things I loved about my team. Despite the playfulness, there was a time for seriousness, which everyone on the team knew was paramount.

“Do we need all the members in the Famiglias?” Lucia asked.

I didn’t need every member to be present. In fact, only my team members needed to know about what I was about to do since they were the only few I trusted.

“No. Everyone I need is here,” I said, standing up, and they did the same. I shook my head, waving for them to sit, but none did.

I sighed and said, “I’ll be going on a cruise. We recently formed an alliance with three of the most powerful organizations in Sicily, and I have been appointed to go with them.”

I paused, staring at each of them. I could see the wheels turning in their heads as they gazed at one another.

“What do we need to do, boss, and do Malik and I come with you?” Jackson asked.

“No,” I shook my head. “I’ll need everyone to stand guard.”

“Noted,” Nicholas said.

“Any other information will be communicated before I leave.”

“Okay, boss. We’ve got your back,” Jackson said, crossing his heart.

I nodded. Although this had always been the way every discussion went, I couldn’t help but feel this would be different. It was as though a terrible disaster was looming, and there was nothing I could do to avoid it.